Rotary air drilling head



Nov. 15, 1966 J. M. HUNTER 3,285,352

ROTARY AIR DRILLING HEAD Filed Dec. 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Joseph M.Hunter 1 N VE N TO R BY MM 19% Nov. 15, 1966 J. M. HUNTER ROTARY AIRDRILLING HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1964 I r m. m, m m M a M mI a a 4 H M m/ I 9 9 m w W l 0 4 7 1 .m, M M Q I WNMII, Aw M H W. I J 41 J 9 J V] I I. III! I I [.i I I I I I I I. I1 I .l II IF 3 4 W M W r I5 2 v ,l .g J l l 1 l I I I l I IOI I I I w Q I 4 4 \mL! 8 n 0 v I I 9 IT X 2 5 6 1.. 0 9 .A 4 8 3 United States Patent Ofiflce 3,285,352Patented Nov. 15, 1966 3,285,352 ROTARY AIR DRILLING HEAD Joseph M.Hunter, 1505 Indian Springs Road, Indiana, Pa. Filed Dec. 3, 1964, Ser.No. 415,604 8 Claims. (Cl. 175-214) T his invention comprises a noveland useful rotary air drilling head and more particularly pertains to adrilling head for rotary drilling apparatus adapted to be detachablymounted in a well casing head for packing and wiping the kelly bar of arotary drill string and for deflecting. solid particles ascending thewell casing with the drilling air or drilling fluid into the drillingfluid outlet of the casing head.

In rotary drilling rigs the kelly bar which is attached to, supports andserves to impart rotary motion to the drill string is connected to itssource of power, as by a rotary table, on the drilling platform of theWell casing head. As the drilling operation progresses, the drill stringis rotated by the power source and is progressively lowered into thewell bore. At the uppermost portion of the drill string there is secureda kelly bar which serves the plural functions of supporting the drillingstring during raising or lowering of the latter, transmitting power fromthe power source to the drilling string for rotating the latter and forsupplying the drilling fluid to the interior of the drilling string. Thekelly bar is required during its operation to rotate in and slideaxially through a drilling head or packing member which serves to guidethe kelly bar, pack and seal the latter against the escape of oil ordrilling fluid through the well casing head about the kelly bar.

It is the primary purpose of this invention to provide a drilling headhaving a greatly improved coaction with the kelly bar or drill stringand also with the well casing head.

A further important purpose of the invention is to provide a drillinghead in accordance with the preceding object which shall enable andpermit a slight lateral shifting of the drilling head with respect tothe axis of the well casing in order to allow the drill string toaccommodate slightly off-center positions which it may assume during thedrilling operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drill head in accordancewith the foregoing objects which shall be specifically adapted for usewith rotary drilling of the air drilling type in that it will providefor protecting the drill head and the packing elements thereof fromdamage by solid pieces of the formation penetrated by the drill bit orother particles and which are conveyed upwardly through the well casingby the air drilling fluid, and will deflect said solid particles throughthe drilling fluid outlet opening of the casing head.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide adrilling head construction in conformity with the foregoing objectswhich shall include a hollow outer body having means for removablyseating and sealingly engaging this body in a casing head whilepermitting lateral shifting of the body upon a seat in the casing head,together with means for rotatably journaling in the body a hollow guidebody through which the kelly bar of the drill string is axially slidablebut nonrotatably received and which shall include an improved bearingand sealing engagement of the hollow body with the kelly bar.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a drill headassembly in accordance with the preceding objects which shall includemeans for firmly securing the guide body within the outer body of thedrilling head in a manner to permit lateral shifting movement butpreclude axial movement therein and which shall include a means foreffecting the efiicient lubrication of the rotatable guide body withinthe outer body of the assembly.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a drilling headassembly in accordance with the preceding objects which shall include asa removable lower component thereof a combined particle deflecting meansand a wiper for the kelly bar.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the drilling head in accordance withthis invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken upon anenlarged scale through the drilling head of FIGURE 1 and substantiallyupon the plane indicated by section line 22,thereof, the position of thekelly bar with respect to the drilling head being shown inph-antomtherein;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken upon anenlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 33of FIGURE 2 and showing further details of the lubricating system of theguide body and of the mounting means for securing the drill head in awell casing head;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken in horizontal section uponan enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by section line44 of FIGURE 2 and showing in particular a lubricant impellingconstruction forming a part of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through a portion ofthe well casing head and showing the mounting of the drilling headtherein with the latter being shown in elevation; and

FIGURE 6 is a further detailed view taken upon an enlarged scale of aportion of the internal packing construction in accordance with thisinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, attention is directed first to FIGURE 5wherein the drilling head forming the subject matter of this inventionis indicated generally by the numeral 10 and is shown mounted in thecasing head 12 at the upper end of a well casing 14, this casing headhaving a retaining means 16 for its open upper end and by means of whichthe drilling head 10 is removably secured to a seat 18 within the casinghead. The well casing head is further provided with a drilling fluidoutlet port 20 by means of which the drilling fluid, carrying with it"formation particles and other solid particles is discharged from thewell casing. Also indicated by the numeral 22 is an air nozzle connectedas by a conduit 24 to any suitable source of air under pressure and bymeans of which a jet or stream of air is directed into the discharge oroutlet to facilitate the flow of drilling fluid and particles carriedthereby from the casing head.

The drilling head of this invention cooperates with a drilling string,not shown, but which includes at its upper end the usual kelly barindicated in phantom in FIG- URE 2 by the numeral 30. As is wellunderstood in the art, the kelly bar and through it the drill string issupported and raised or lowered in the well bore in accordance with thedrilling operation, and is rotated by a source of power applied throughthe kelly :bar, while drilling fluid either liquid or air is suppliedthrough the interior of the hollow kelly bar and thence through thedrill string to the bottom of the well bore, from any suitable andconventional source of the drilling fluid, not shown, and during itsascension of the annulus between the drill string and the well casingcarries with it formation particles cut by the drill bit and any othersolid particles where they are subsequently discharged from the wellcasing through the outlet 20. Inasmuch as the general organization andarrangement of this portion of a drilling apparatus is well known tothose skilled in the art, and since the present invention resides withinthe actual structure, operation and association of the drilling headwith the well casing head and the kelly bar, a further descriptionthereof is deemed to be unnecessary.

Referring particularly to FIGURES l, and 2 and 5, it will be observedthat the drilling head 10 comprises a hollow outer body 32 having acentral opening or bore 34 extending axially therethrough. The exteriorof the outer body 32 adjacent its upper end is provided with sets oflaterally outwardly projecting lugs 36 which are adapted to rest uponand seat in correspondingly shaped recesses or sockets in the open upperend of the casing head 12, to thereby removably seat and support thedrilling head in the upper end of the well casing head. It should beobserved that it is within the purview of this invention to establishsuflicient lateral clearance between the outer ends of the lugs 36 andthe corresponding surfaces of the sockets forming the seat 18 to allowthe drilling head to shift slightly laterally in the casing head ifdesired. In other instances, however, a snug fit may be provided whichwill prevent any lateral shifting of the drilling head upon its seat inthe casing head 12.

The previously mentioned retaining means 16 is adapted to engage the topsurface of the lugs 36 and thereby clamp and retain the drilling headagainst its seat 18 in a removable manner.

Upon the lower portion of its external surface, the drilling head body32 is provided with external packing or sealing means 40 which slidablyand sealingly engage the internal surface of the casing head 12 toprevent escapement of fluid therebetween.

As previously mentioned, the outer body 32 is provided with a centralopening or bore 34 therethrough. This bore receives and rotatablyjournals therein an inner or hollow guide body 42, having, as shown bestin FIGURE 3, an axial guide bore 44 therethrough which is non-circularin cross-section to correspond to the cross-sectional configuration ofthe kelly bar 30, so that the latter is non-rotatably but axiallyslidably received in the inner or guide body 42.

In its upper portion, the central opening 34 is diametrically enlargedto provide a cylindrical bearing recess 46 in which is secured in anysuitable manner an anti-friction bearing member 48 which rotatablyjournals the guide body 42. Opening downwardly from its top surface, theouter body 32 is provided with a plurality of vertically disposed andcircumferentially spaced lubricating bores or passages 50 whose upperends open into an annular lubricant reservoir 52 which may be suppliedwith lubricant from time to time as necessary through the lubricantinlet passage 54 closed by a plug 56. In this manner, lubricant iscontinuously supplied to the bushing or bearing member 48 to therebyreduce the wear between this member and the diametrically enlarged bore46 and/or the surface of the inner guide body 42.

Adjacent its upper end, the inner guide body 42 is provided with adiametrically enlarged laterally projecting flange or rib 58 having abottom flat planar surface 60 which rests upon the top of a thrust ring62 which in turn seats upon a shoulder of the further counterboredportion of the guide bore 46 which constitutes a part of heflubricantreservoir or channel 52, and which also serves to bear against andretain the bushing 48 against the shouldered seat 64 at the junction ofthe counterbore 46' with the bore 34. A retainer in the form of a ringnge' 66 is detachably secured as by fasteners 68 to rtion of the annularrib or ring 58 and overer-ring 70 received in the counterbore 72 at mostportion of the bore 34.

portion of 1 1. bQIe 34 is diametrically enportion thereof a series ofinternal packing members in the form of chevrons 76 which rest upon anannular ring 78. Below this annular ring is a mass of compressiblepacking or sealing material 80 of any desired character such as asbestosor the like, and which is compressively retained as by a lower packingring 82 urged upwardly as by springs 84. A removable cover plate 86 isdetachably secured to the lower end of the body 32 as by means offasteners 88, and at its upper surface abuts against both the springs 84and against the lowermost of the external packing members 40 to retainboth packings in place.

It will be noted that the bottom surface of the member 86 is providedwith a pair of circumferentially extending inner and outer sealingchannels 90 and 92 into which are engaged the upwardly directed innerand outer sealing rings 94 and 96 respectively of a bottom plate 98. Thelatter has a laterally inwardly extending flange 100 which underlies theinner guide body 42 and is secured to the latter as by fasteners 102.

Detaohably secured to the retainer plate 98 as by fasteners 104 is alaterally projecting flange 106 of a combined deflector and oil wiper orstripper 108 of rubber or other suitable material. It will be noted thatthe upper portion of the member 108 is provided with a cavity 110therein which is of a conical, downwardly converging nature tofacilitate passage of the kelly bar therethrough. The member 108 isprovided with an axial bore 112 in its lower portion which resilientlygrips and engages the kelly bar to permit sliding movement of the kellybar therethrough but to wipe oil from the kelly bar and to prevent theescape of drilling fluid or oil upwardly therethrough.

The exterior surface of the member 108 is downwardly convergent orgenerally conoidal in configuration, having externally circumferentiallyspaced and longitudinally extending radially outwardly projecting ribs114.

As will be noted from FIGURE 5, the drill head is so positioned in thecasing well head that the deflector 108 is disposed adjacent and extendsabove the drilling fluid outlet 20 in such a manner as to deflect theupwardly ascending drilling fluid for the air or liquid and the solidparticles carried thereby in through the outlet 20 where the injectedstream of air from the nozzle 22 will facilitate their removal from thewell casing.

It will thus be apparent that this device provides an externally andinternally packed and sealed drilling head having means to prevent theescape of fluid between the kelly bar and the drilling head and betweenthe latter and the well casing head. In addition, an improvedlubricating means is provided for the inner guide body and the exteriorbody of the drilling head.

Refer-ring specifically to FIGURE 4, it will be noted that planar,annular bottom surface 60'of the flange 58 is provided with a spiralgroove extending thereabout. This groove cooperates with the top surfaceof the member 62 so that upon rotation of the inner body, the grooveserves as a spiral groove pump which feeds oil from the lubricantreservoir 52 across the top of the bushing 48 and between the latter andthe inner body for effecting a positive lubrication between theseelements.

The branch conduits 51 connect the axial bores 50 with the other side ofthe bushing 48.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In the combination of a well casing head having therein a seat, acasing head retaining means, a drilling fluid outlet below said seat anda drill string including a kelly bar, the improvement comprising; adrilling head adapted to be received within said casing head andreleasably secured upon said seat by said retaining means, said drillinghead including sealing means for slidably and sealingly embracing saidkelly bar, said sealing means including a drilling fluid deflectorpositioned in said casing above and adjacent said drilling fluid outletfor directing into said outlet drilling fluid and solid particlescarried thereby and ascending said well casing, said drilling headcomprising a hollow body with a central opening therethrough, a guidebody movably received in said central opening, said guide body having anaxial guide bore therethrough slidably receiving said kelly bar, saidsealing means being aligned with said axial guide bore, means retainingsaid guide body in said hollow body and restraining said guide body fromaxial movement while alfording rotatable movement, means for supplyinglubricant to the surface of said guide body, said guide bore and kellybar having cross sectional areas of similar size and configurationwhereby said kelly bar imparts rotation to said guide body, said guidebody and said guide body retaining means having cooperating elementscomprising a pumping means constituting part of said lubricant supplyingmeans.

2. In the combination of a well casing head having therein a seat, acasing head retaining means, a drilling fluid outlet below said seat anda drill string including a kelly bar, the improvement comprising; adrilling head adapted to be received within said casing head andreleasably secured upon said seat by said retaining means, said drillinghead including sealing means for slidably and sealingly embracing saidkelly bar, said sealing means including a drilling fluid deflectorpositioned in said casing above and adjacent said drilling fluid outletfor directing into said outlet drilling fluid and solid particlescarried thereby and ascending said Well casing, said drilling headcomprising a hollow body with a central opening therethrough, a guidebody movably received in said central opening, said guide body having anaxial guide bore therethrough slidably receiving said kelly bar, saidsealing means being aligned with said axial guide bore, means retainingsaid guide body in said hollow body and restraining said guide body fromaxial movement while affording rotatable movement, means for supplyinglubricant to the surface of said guide body, said guide bore and kellybar having cross sectional areas of similar size and configurationwhereby said kelly bar imparts rotation to said guide body, said guidebody and said guide body retaining means having cooperating elementscomprising a pumping means constituting part of said lubricant supplying means, said hollow body having therein a lubricant reservoir andpassages communicating said reservoir with the inner surface of saidhollow body.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said pumping meansincludes a spiral groove communicating with the reservoir at one end andextending toward the external surface of the guide body for lubricatingthe guide body.

4. The structure as defined in claim 2 together with a retainer platesecured to the lower surface of said hollow body and retaining theexternal packing means thereon,

said sealing means including a resilient body, a mounting plate at theupper end of said resilient body and being secured to the lower end ofsaid guide body, said mount ing plate extending below said retainingplate, said retaining plate and mounting plate having cooperating ribsand grooves on adjacent surfaces forming a radially tortuous seal meanstherebetween.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein internal packing means isdisposed between the hollow body and said guide body, said retainingplate also serving to retain the packing means between the hollow bodyand guide body in place therebetween.

6. In a rotary drilling apparatus, a well casing head having therein aseat and a drilling fluid outlet below said seat, an air drilling headin said casing head and mounted upon said seat, means releasablyretaining said drilling head Within said casing head and upon said seat,a drill string including a kelly bar slidably and rotatably mounted inand movable through said drilling head, said drilling head includingexternal packing means having a sealed engagement with the interior ofsaid casing head and having internal seal means embracing said kelly barand including a drilling fluid deflector extending below said seat andpositioned within said casing head adjacent to said outlet for directingascending drilling fluid and solid particles carried thereby into saidoutlet, a retainer plate secured to the lower end of said drilling headand retaining said external packing means upon said drilling head.

7. In a rotary drilling apparatus, a well casing head having therein aseat and a drilling fluid outlet below said seat, an air drilling headin said casing head and mounted upon said seat, means releasablyretaining said drilling head within said casing head and upon said seat,a drill string including a kelly bar slidably and rotatably mounted inand movable through said drilling head, said drilling head includingexternal packing means having a sealed engagement with the interior ofsaid casing head and having internal seal means embracing said kelly barand including a drilling fluid deflector extending below said seat andpositioned within said casing head adjacent to said outlet for directingascending drilling fluid and solid particles carried thereby into saidoutlet, a retainer plate secured to the lower end of said drilling headand retaining said external packing means upon said drilling head, saiddeflector resiliently embracing said kelly bar, a mounting plate carriedby said drilling :head and to which said deflector is secured.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said deflector comprising adownwardly converging conoidal body having longitudinally extendingexternal ribs thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,846,247 8/1958Davis 16684 X 2,995,196 8/1961 Gibson et al 7 3,023,012 2/ 1962 Wilde.3,128,614 4/1964 Auer 16684 X CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Exa'miner.

1. IN THE COMBINATION OF A WELL CASING HEAD HAVING THEREIN A SEAT, ACASING HEAD RETAINING MEANS, A DRILING FLUID OUTLET BELOW SAID SEAT ANDA DRILL STRING INCLUDING A KELLY BAR, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING; ADRILLING HEAD ADAPTED TO BE REVCEIVED WITHIN SAID CASING HEAD ANDRELEASABLY SECURED UPON SAID SEAT BY SAID RETAINING MEANS, SAID DRILINGHEAD INCLUDING SEALING MEANS FOR SLIDABLY AND SEALINGLY EMBRACING SAIDKELLY BAR, SAID SEALIING MEANS INCLUDING A DRILLING FLUID DEFLECTORPOSITIONED IN SAID CASING ABOVE AND ADJACENT SAID DRILLING FLUID OUTLETFOR DIRECTING INTO SAID OUTLET DRILLING FLUID AND SOLID PARTICLESCARRIED THEREBY AND ASCENDING SAID WEL CASING, SAID DRILLING HEADCOMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY WITH A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH, A GUIDEBODY MOVABLY RECEIVED IN SAID CENTRAL OPENING, SAID GUIDE BODY HAVING ANAXIAL GUIDE BORE THERETHROUGH SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID KELLY BAR, SAIDSEALING MEANS BEING ALIGNED WITH SAID AXIAL GUIDE BORE,MEANS RETAININGSAID GUIDE BODY IN SAID HOLLOW BODY AND RESTRAINING SAID GUIDE BODY FROMAXIAL MOVEMENT WHILE AFFORDING ROTATABLE MOVEMENT, MEANS FOR SUPPLYINGLUBRICANT TO THE SURFACE OF SAID GUIDE BODY, SAID GUIDE BORE AND KELLYBAR HAVING CROSS SECTIONAL AREAS OF SIMILAR SIZE AND CONFIGURATIOLNWHEREBY SAID KELLY BAR IMPARTS ROTATION TO SAID GUIIDE BODY, SAID GUIDEBODY AND SAID GUIDE BODY RETAINING MEANS HAVING COOPERATING ELEMENTSCOMPRISING A PUMPING MEANS CONSTITUTING PART OF SAID LUBRICANT SUPPLYINGMEANS.